Kieran Stone, twenty-one year old prodigy, sat, fingers tapping a staccato rhythm onto the wood of the desk as he reviewed his records on the girl known simply as Raven.

The teen, only two years younger than himself, was infamous for her penchant of offending world leaders, and famous for the skills that gave her that liberty. In all truth, Raven, though that was not even her real name, was quite possibly one of the most dangerous people on the planet. But that wasn't the only reason why Kieran had decided to enlist her service.

He had his fingers in every plot, every conspiracy that involved anyone of even the slightest importance--and most of them were of his own devising. Kieran knew of quite nearly everything that went on in the civilized world; every 'secret' operation was old news to him. But, somehow, Raven always escaped his notice until the last minute.

Kieran had never met Raven before this morning, but he had not needed to. Everything he wanted to know was accessible to him in one way or another, and he had learned of how the Crown Jewels were stolen from the seemingly-impenetrable Tower of London. They were replaced the next day, not a single jewel missing, the thief leaving neither physical trace nor digital image behind.

Then there was the vast smuggling operation, which had escaped even Kieran's eye until he had stumbled upon it by little more than accident. And of course, the various break-ins, to the highest-end mansions in Europe, though nothing was ever broken or stolen; almost as if they had been committed merely for entertainment. There was only one person capable of doing all that, who would do it for nothing more than simple amusement, and that person was Raven.

The door opened, interrupting his thoughts, and Kieran glanced up. His twin brother, Aidan, stood in front of him. Aidan was Kieran's best undercover agent, miraculously slipping out of view as easily as he slid into it. And Aidan slid into view very easily, Kieran supposed, with his mop of rumpled curls and perfectly toned limbs. He and Kieran had been born identical, but their different paths in life had tanned Aidan's skin and lent a roguish, laughing quality to his eyes, while Kieran's skin remained deathly-pale, his eyes cold and calculating.

"I've found you a colleague." Kieran spoke without preamble.

Aidan stared insolently at his brother. "You know I don't need one."

"She may very well be the best in the world at what she does. And that means better than you," Kieran shot back.

Aidan scoffed, emphasizing the lazy Australian drawl that he had been affecting as of late. "She? What's gotten into you, Kieran? How many girls can there be who are better than me?"

A figure stepped out of the shadows, moving up to stand next to where Kieran was seated. "Am I truly of such inconsequence to you, Aidan Stone?"

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A/N:

How are you liking the story so far? Writing Raven's character is turning out a little challenging, because she's so complicated and I want to portray her to the best of my abilities, but I'm hoping that you're enjoying what you know of her so far :) vote if you want, and don't hesitate to drop me a line if you have any thoughts!